


you make me smile with my heart

by Moriavis



Series: Finding ways to come together [17]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, International Fanworks Day 2017, Len makes up for last year, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 15:47:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9768908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moriavis/pseuds/Moriavis
Summary: Len makes up for last year's Valentine's Day. Barry approves.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! I tried to have this posted yesterday, but AO3 was being awful (This is my fifth attempt.)
> 
> This isn't beta'ed, but I will update with the beta'ed version as soon as my beta has a moment to read it. <3

~*~

Barry fumbled with his keys as he locked the door to his lab, trying to stifle a yawn. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he smiled as he looked at his messages. Len had texted him a series of numbers--latitude and longitude, by the look of it, and Barry couldn't help but be grateful that Len wasn't going to be as frustrating this Valentine's Day as he was last year.

Crap.

He'd totally just jinxed himself.

Barry rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen up a little, and then opened his maps app to find out where exactly he was supposed to go anyway.

His phone dinged, and another message from Len appeared. _Clock's ticking, Red._

"I'm not that late," Barry grumbled to himself, and he cast one more quick look around to make sure no one could see him before he sped away. Charm City wasn't far away by Barry's standards--although, honestly, he could go practically anywhere in the US without any trouble, and wasn't that awesome?--but Len would've had to have flown there, and that made Barry even more curious than he was before.

The coordinates led Barry to a small, pleasant looking apartment building, and Barry pulled out his phone again. _I'm here? What now?_

_Apt 3B_. Barry arched his eyebrow, but he pocketed his phone and went inside. There was a group of people waiting for the elevator, so Barry took the stairs. He was strangely calm, no squirm of nerves in his stomach; so much of their relationship had involved tension and distrust, and here Barry was, going to a strange apartment with nothing more than a series of texts under Len's name, and the only thing he felt was excitement.

It was only a minute or two before he found the apartment, and he knocked, trying the doorknob and finding it unlocked. "Len?" Barry peered around the door and squinted at the unfamiliar layout. "Are you here?" He ventured in another step inside and closed the door behind him. He was in a small foyer that opened up into a larger living room, and fortunately he didn't have to go any further before he found Len, leaning against the back of the couch and looking down at his phone. Barry's throat went dry, and he forgot whatever he was going to say next; Len was wearing a tuxedo that was tailored perfectly to the line of his body, and he looked impossibly, outrageously attractive.

"This is the day you choose to take your time?" Len looked up from his phone and shook his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Asshole. He knew exactly how good he looked.

"Unlike some people, I actually had to work today." Barry folded his arms over his chest. "What's all the secrecy?"

Len slipped his phone into a pocket and made his way over to Barry, drawing him into a careful embrace, his hands resting lightly on Barry's hips. "Have to make up for last year, don't I?"

Barry frowned, guilt sinking in his stomach. "I don't want you to feel _obligated_ \--"

Len pressed a finger to Barry's lips and shook his head. "Bedroom's down the hall. Take a shower and wear what's in the closet. We're on the clock."

"Okay, okay." Barry rolled his eyes and zipped down the hall, stripping off his clothes and jumped into the shower to scrub himself clean. Almost everything was nice here--the bathroom was clean and newly renovated, Barry suspected, and the glimpse he'd gotten of the bedroom had looked really comfortable in a very Len sort of way. This place obviously wasn't a rental--it was a non-Central safe house, and Barry was touched at the trust in that gesture, giddy in a way that he always felt when Len allowed him access to each small part of his life.

One one side of the closet were a few items carefully hung, things that could be worn in layers that obviously belonged to Len. On the other side of the closet, there was a tuxedo, and Barry pulled it out with shaking hands. Everything fit perfectly, from his favorite brand of underwear to the tuxedo itself, and the new shoes that were obviously purchased to go with the outfit. He didn't know how much it cost, but he was pretty sure that he'd never worn anything as expensive as what he was wearing now. Barry cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, heading back toward the living room where Len was waiting. "Um, I can't really do anything with my hair…" He trailed off as Len turned to look at him, his blue eyes taking on an intensity that was normally saved for a heist, and Len tilted his head, running his fingers through Barry's hair.

"You're fine, Barry." Len took Barry's hand and curled it into the bend of his elbow, and Barry flushed so hard and fast he grew dizzy. 

"Are we going on a date?" Barry asked stupidly, and Len huffed a laugh as he guided him out of the apartment. 

"Yes. We're going on a date."

Even the words made something tremble inside him. Sure, he'd had the occasional private fantasy of being swept off his feet, and maybe, just maybe it had involved Iris and sometimes Oliver, but this--this was different, this was _real_ , with his very real and very attractive boyfriend.

"I'm already so excited and I have no idea what we're going to do," Barry blurted out. Len looked at Barry from the corner of his eye, a motion that Barry only caught because he was so intensely hyper aware. He squeezed Len's arm, thrilled all over again that Len was allowing him to do it. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Barry wasn't sure if Len was teasing him at this point or not, but he followed Len into the elevator and into the parking garage. There was a blue car there, an Audi, if Barry recognized the symbol, and Len opened the passenger side door with a flourish, presenting Barry with his seat.

"I have to admit, I like this attentive side of you." Barry looked his fill of Len's profile as Len pulled out of his parking space, leaving the garage behind for the city proper.

"You always have my attention, Barry." Len glanced at Barry from the corner of his eyes again. "We don't get the chance to do this often--"

Barry smiled. "It's a drawback of dating a famous criminal."

"I'm less famous here," Len promised.

Sure enough, they were allowed into the restaurant unmolested, and Barry looked around with wide, impressed eyes, almost intimidated by how nice the restaurant was. They were led to a table in a private corner, and Len even pulled out Barry's chair for him.

"You're being ridiculous on purpose," Barry said, even though he was loving every minute of it.

"Guilty." Len fell silent, and for a moment, they stared across the table at each other. Len's face was soft in the way that Barry was starting to realize was just for him, and Barry smiled back, enchanted by the soft music playing, the intimate flicker of candlelight casting their space in delicate shadows, the thick curtains in the windows helping maintain the illusion that they were in their own private world.

"Do we get menus?" Barry whispered.

Len shook his head. "Chef's choice. It'll be a mystery to both of us. A way to break the ice."

"Cool it with the ice puns, or I'm out," Barry teased, resting his chin on his palm as he leaned forward.

"Stop making threats." Len leaned back in his chair, and Barry shamelessly ogled him, appreciating just how well the tux fit. "It's snow laughing matter."

The waiter stopped by their table to pour them water and the wine to go with their first course, promising to bring it out in a moment. Barry turned his attention back to Len, blinked, and then said, in the most conversational way that he could, "I was trying to think of something to say, but I froze."

Len lowered his head, his shoulders shaking, and he drew Barry's hand up, pressing a kiss to Barry's knuckles. Barry couldn't resist tightening his fingers around Len's when Len drew away, and another quiet thrill ran through him when Len just rested their hands at the edge of the table, fingers still entwined.

"You being out of Central isn't going to be trouble, is it?" Len asked, and Barry shook his head.

"I have my phone on me if there's any need for the Flash, and I've finished my lab stuff for the day." Barry frowned. "There's always more crimes of passion around this time of year." Len nodded, but Barry didn't want to linger on crime, especially when they were actually out of Central for once. He turned the conversation instead to the television shows currently stacking on the DVR, how it was always easier to read books now because he was so fast, but that made watching videos torture, just because he had to slow down to them. Len didn't say very much--he never did--but he watched Barry intently as they ate, gave him a nod here and there to indicate he was listening, and Barry couldn't remember the last time he'd actually had such a nice time just… talking. It had always been easy with Iris, was still easy, but the awkwardness Barry felt whenever he talked about himself for a long period of time melted away. Len always seemed to want to know the minutiae of Barry's day, no matter how boring Barry himself thought it was.

It felt like the six course meal was done in no time, but Barry lingered over dessert, even after Len paid, not quite wanting the evening to be over yet. "C'mon, kid," Len said, "we've got other plans."

Barry perked up at that. "You mean we're not going back to the apartment?"

Len smirked and huffed a soft laugh, resting his hand on the small of Barry's back and pressing him forward. "Such little faith. Come on."

Barry might have let out a little gasp of delight when Len pulled into the parking lot of the Charm City Science Museum, and he was out of the car almost before it stopped. "Oh my god, I've been wanting to come here for years!"

Len nodded, cautiously taking Barry's hand again, his eyes flitting left and right as if he expected to be stopped for even making that small of a gesture. "They have an Astrodon cast," Len murmured.

"Don't you dare talk dinosaur to me now," Barry complained. "We're in public." Len actually laughed out loud at that, which Barry considered a win. They got a couple of weird looks for their tuxes as Len paid for admission but then Barry led the way, too excited to sit still. There was an exhibit on Newtonian physics, electricity, dinosaurs, even an observatory, and Barry had to consciously remind himself to slow down. Len helped once or twice, grabbing Barry's wrist and pressing his thumb to Barry's pulse every time Barry felt like he was going to vibrate out of his skin in delight. It was magic.

After an hour or two, the museum announced that it was closing for the evening, and Barry unwillingly let Len lead him out. This time, Barry didn't complain about the idea of going back to the apartment, tugging at his bowtie just to loosen it a little.

"Please tell me you've got me something comfortable to wear in here," Barry pleaded as Len opened the door and let him inside.

"I'm sure I can find something," Len said dryly, and Barry bent down to remove his shoes, setting them next to the coffee table to keep them out of the way.

"This was really nice, but I'm dying for some jeans--" Barry stumbled to a stop just outside the kitchen, his eyes widening again; it was like he was constantly being caught off guard today, and he secretly delighted in it. 

On the table in the kitchen was a vase holding a dozen red roses. Barry leaned closer and shivered as a chill rose from the blossoms, and he realized with a start that each flower was delicately covered in a layer of frost. "What? How even--" Barry whipped around to see Len, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I know people." Len smirked. "This particular thing was a gift from an acquaintance in Gotham. He's a terrible romantic."

Barry could only shake his head as he stared at the flowers, and then he took two shaky steps into Len's space, squeezing his arms around Len and burying his face in Len's shoulder. "This is perfect," he said, his voice muffled. "How is this all so perfect?"

Len rubbed a large, soothing circle over Barry's back, and Barry was so grateful that he could almost feel his heart lurch into his throat with the strength of his feelings. "I was trying for over the top, but I guess perfect will have to do."

Barry raised his head and kissed Len, because he could, because it had been a perfect day, because he couldn't handle how wild and desperate and _full_ Len made him feel. "Sex," he said, "and then food, because I'm still starving."

Len's hands came up to Barry's face, cradling his cheeks as he affectionately swept back Barry's hair. "I'll order pizza."

"Sweet talker," Barry teased, and he laughed against Len's mouth as they both tried to steal another kiss and met in the middle instead.

~*~


End file.
